Bookkeeping stand



May 21, 1957 w DRQMMER 2,792,944

BOOKKEEPING STAND Filed April 7, 1954 2 Shegts-Sheet 1 7/ IN VEN TOR.

WALL/AM L DPOMMEA wrap/var May 21, 1957 w. DROMMER BOOKKEEPING STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7. 1954 W 4 f OO-UODODO 04/0000000000000000 V J; a 0 w 5 6 3 Ur QDOOnYbOO OOODDDDODOOOOQOQOO J Z 7 w J 4 INVENTOR. WILL/AIM L DROMME/Q ATTO/P/VEK United States Patent 2,792,944 BOOKKEEPING STAND William L. Drommer, Sioux City, Iowa, assignor to Le Fgllaure Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation 0 owa Application April 7, 1954, Serial No. 421,619,

1 Claim. ((21.211-136 This invention relates to bookkeeping stands and has particular relation to a stand for trays, ledgers and the like which may be raised and lowered to any desired Some of the stands havebeen so constructed that when they are in the lowered or depressed position, the locking mechanism projects forwardly from the stand and snags the operators stockings and scuffs their shoes. Another disadvantage is that only end travel locking positions were provided so that the table of the stand could be locked only in the extreme upper or lower positions.

Still another disadvantage of the devices of the prior art was the multiplicity of linkages,levers and supports necessary for effecting raising and lowering of the table of the stand.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide an adjustable stand which may be raised and lowered by only a simple, vertical movement of the operating means and in which locking of the operating means is effected merely by a longitudinal, in or out movement of the handle which actuates the mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to provide a linkage raising and lowering structure that permits a spring biasing action to be effected smoothly and uniformly over the entire range of movement of the table top.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a very simple and efficient locking means for stands which has a minimum of working parts and in which the actuating and control parts do not project unduly from the front of the stand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified table raising and lowering structure.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specifications, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a stand constructed according to a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the stand in the lowered position, illustrating how very little of the actuating mechanism is at the front of the stand,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the operative portion of the actuating mechanism, illustrating the means by which the actuating mechanism may be moved in and out and how it is locked in position.

Figure 4 is a view in cross section of the guide and slide illustrated on line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the stand, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the roller joint whereby the vertical link and the spring biased horizontal link are operatingly connected to prevent binding.

Referring then to the drawings:

A preferred embodiment of my invention .includes a lower shelf 10, having depending flanges 11 on four sides thereof to which vertical angle corner members 12, 13, 14 and 16 are fixed as by welding and the like. The angles 12, 13, 14 and 16 are provided with. in-turned flanges such as illustrated at 17 and 18 so that four other post-like angle members 21, 22, 23 and 24 may be slidably received for vertical movement in the inner sides of corner posts 12, 13, 14 and 16.

The upper angles 21, 22, 23 and 24 are welded or otherwise secured to the upper shelf 26 and the upper shelf may be raised and lowered by pushing up or down 'at the center of the shelf by means of the links 27 and 28, which are pivotally secured to the shelf by pivot pins such as 29. e g

A pair of operating levers 31 and 32 are pivotally engaged by means of brackets 33 and 34 to the lower portions of the rear legs 14 and 16. These operating levers31 and 32 likewise have in-turned flanges such as illustrated at 35, to receive strap-like slides 34a and 36 and the outer ends of the strap-like slides are joined by means of a cross shaft 37, which cross shaft is provided with a handle such as the rubber hose 38. The cross shaft is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting pins such as illustrated at 39 and 41 and these pins are so positioned that they may engage any of the holes in the vertical straps 42 and 43.

It will be noted that the vertical straps are provided with a large plurality of closely spaced holes to secure a large range of locking positions.

Springs 44 and 46, in the opposed lever members 31 and 32, are connected from the inner ends of the slides 34 and 36 and to the rear ends of the guides 31 and 32 so as to normally hold the pins 39 and 41 in the engaged position. a

The guides 31 and 32 are provided with cupped flanges such as illustrated at 47 and 48 to receive anti-friction ball bearings 49 and these anti-friction ball bearings are held in place by races 51 and are received on inwardly cupped portions 52 and 53 on the inwardly projecting flanges of the slides.

The oppositely disposed links 56 and 57 are pivotally engaged to ends of the members 16 and 14 by means of brackets 56a and 57a. It will be noted that. these link members extend inwardly to engage the vertical links 27 and 28 at a point close to their upper ends. To permit the longitudinal, slideable movement of these link members 56 and 57 in relation to the links 27 and 28, I have provided a roller assembly such as shown at 27A comprising a roller 27b, axle bolt 27c and axle plate 27d mounted on the links 27 as shown in Figure 6.

The operation of the foregoing linkage may be better understood by referring to Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted that the leg 16, operating lever 31, link 27 and link 56 form a rectangle, the spring 61 being positioned between two opposite corners thereof. As the table top is lowered, this rectangle assumes a diamond shape, extending the spring 61 to its full length. The spring continually exerts a counterbalancing force to return the various elements to their original position, thus raising the table top.

The amount of the counterbalancing force to be applied may be controlled by using various size springs graded according to the load which might be placed on the table top in various types of usage.

It will be further noted that the roller type joint between the links 27 and 56 prevents any binding action which might otherwise be caused as a result of the fixed position of the link 56 in relation to the table top and was a e :3 I the ,leg 16. The roller joint also provides smooth, uniform action of the table top throughout the full range of its movement.

The stand is preferably mountedon castered wheels such as illustratedat 71 so that-itmaybe readily moved about. It is apparent that the shelf 26 .may .be. easily raised and lowered by raising and lowering thehandle. 38 and, of course, engagement anddisengagement for locking and unlocking the actuating mechanismis afiorded by merely pulling out or releasing the handle 38. The weight of books, ledgers, trays and the like is at least partially counterbalanced so as tominimize the force necessary to raise and lower the table.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof mayrbe made by those -skilled in the art. (Suchmodifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of. my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

.7 I claim as my invention:

In a bookkeeping stand of the type described, a base member comprising a shelf having an upwardly extending member at each corner thereof, a second shelf positioned above said first mentioned shelf and having downwardly extending members adapted to slidably engage the upwardly extending members on the first mentioned shelf, a pair of vertically downwardly extending linking means pivotally attached to said upper shelf, said downwardly extending linking means having rollers thereon, lever means pivotally mounted on the upwardly extending members of the lower shelf and adapted to slidably engage said rollers, a pair of channel-like lever arms pivotally connected to the upwardly extending members of said lower shelf at a point below the pivotal connection of said first mentioned lever arms, said linking means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,020 Hruska et a1. May 9, 1939 2,356,924 Froelich Aug. 29, 1944 2,472,593 King June 7, 1949 2,645,538 Segal July 14, 1953 r 2,672,386 Segal et a1. Mar. 16, 1954 

